Fighting Five: Saints Wrap Weekend with Lumberjacks
January 6, 2024 - United States Hockey League (USHL)
Dubuque Fighting Saints News Release
DUBUQUE, IA - The Dubuque Fighting Saints (20-7-1-3, 44 pts) host the Muskegon Lumberjacks (17-11-1-1, 36 pts) for the second of two-straight on Saturday night.
Following Saturday's game, the Saints will auction off their purple jerseys from this 'Stick it to Cancer' weekend with proceeds being donated toward cancer research.
Here are five things to know about the matchup:
1. EP's Record Night
Erik Påhlsson tied a modern Fighting Saints record for points in a single game on Friday night with five points in the win over Muskegon. Chase LaPinta tied Stephen Halliday's record earlier this season with a career-night against Omaha before Påhlsson matched the mark on Friday.
On Friday, Påhlsson surged to the top of the USHL points leaderboard. His five point night brings his total to 39 points this season, alone at the top of the league with 16 goals and 23 assists.
2. Top Trio
Påhlsson, along with linemates Jake Sondreal and James Reeder, combined for 11 points in Friday's 8-2 victory. Reeder scored twice, while Sondreal logged three helpers.
Sondreal's 38 points are just one behind Påhlsson at the top of the league, while Reeder joined his linemates in the 30-point club this season. Sondreal's three points tie his season total from his rookie year, while Reeder sits four points behind his 34 points from last season.
3. Back on Track
After scoring twice combined in their previous two games, the Fighting Saints erupted for eight tallies in Friday's game. The Saints are tied at the top of the USHL in goals scored with 138 after Fargo's nine-goal performance on Friday against Des Moines brought the Force level.
At the halfway point of the regular season, the Fighting Saints have a six-point lead atop the Eastern Conference thanks in large part to their explosive offense. The Saints average 4.5 goals scored per game this season.
4. Fighting (First) Five
In Friday's win, the Saints came out firing in the first few minutes of the first and third periods. Påhlsson scored just 47 seconds into regulation before Michael Barron's ninth of the season at 2:46 of the first.
Then, nursing a two-goal lead to start the third, the Fighting Saints scored three times in the first 3:25 of the final period to extend their lead to five.
5. Chopped
The Saints welcomed Muskegon goaltender Shikhabudtin Gadzhiev to the USHL by scoring eight goals against him in his USHL debut on Friday, including Påhlsson's first goal on the first shot of the game. Gadzhiev is the seventh goaltender used by the Lumberjacks this season.
Matvei Gridin entered the weekend just one point behind the league-lead with 34, but Dubuque held Gridin off the scoresheet on Friday night.
Saturday's game begins at 7:05 p.m. CST and tickets can be found here. The game can also be found on Eagle 102.3 and FloHockey.
United States Hockey League Stories from January 6, 2024
- Steel Fall in Shootout in Wild Finish - Chicago Steel
- Herd Breaks Steel in Shootout - Sioux Falls Stampede
- Jacks Bounce Back with Big 6-3 Win in Dubuque - Muskegon Lumberjacks
- The Aftermath: Storm Wins 10-9 Thriller Over Team USA - Tri-City Storm
- Stars Stop Hawks, 5-3 - Waterloo Black Hawks
- Storm Seeks Weekend Sweep of Team USA - Tri-City Storm
- Gameday Preview - Lincoln Stars
- Friday Rewind: Taking a Look at Last Night's Eight Games in the USHL - USHL
- Lancers Complete Weekend Sweep in Shootout Fashion - Omaha Lancers
- Phantoms Drop Shootout Heartbreaker 3-2 - Youngstown Phantoms
- Fighting Five: Saints Wrap Weekend with Lumberjacks - Dubuque Fighting Saints
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